1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a particle removing method, a particle removing device, an atomic force device, and a charged particle beam apparatus.
2. Description of Related Art
Adhesion of particles in a semiconductor device production process affects the yield and quality of the semiconductor device produced. Particles on the photomask cause post-defects upon exposure. Various methods for removing such particles thus far presented include removing the particles by picking up them with tweezers (see, for example, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 2005-84582). U.S. Pat. No. 5,406,833 discloses an atomic force microscope. U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,086,230 and 5,574,280 and U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2007/0138388 disclose focused ion beam devices.